Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video goes viral; Big B demands action
What's the story
Recently, a deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna went viral on X and Instagram, which led to several internet users falling for it.
In the video, a woman can be seen dressed up in a black top and shorts and entering an elevator, and a passing glance at the clip can easily fool people.
Now, her GoodBye co-star Amitabh Bachchan has demanded legal intervention.
Twitter Post
Check out the fake viral clip
🚨 There is an urgent need for a legal and regulatory framework to deal with deepfake in India.
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
You might have seen this viral video of actress Rashmika Mandanna on Instagram. But wait, this is a deepfake video of Zara Patel.
This thread contains the actual video. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/SidP1Xa4sT
Twitter Post
However, this is the real video, not the above one
The original video is of Zara Patel, a British-Indian girl with 415K followers on Instagram. She uploaded this video on Instagram on 9 October. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/MJwx8OldJU
— Abhishek (@AbhishekSay) November 5, 2023
Real video
Know about the woman featured in original video
The real video was brought to the netizens' attention by @AbhishekSay, who, going by his bio description on X, is a journalist with AltNews.
Patel, the one who features in the original video, is allegedly a data engineer and goes by @zaarapatellll on Instagram.
She uploaded the said video on October 9 and it has been liked by over 6L Instagram users.
Big B's response
Here's how Big B responded to these videos
Bachchan, who has been a prolific Twitter user for the past several years, first quoted the video on Sunday night, and wrote, "Yes, this is a strong case for legal."
Then sharing the original video featuring Patel, he informed his followers, "Information."
He also re-tweeted an article shared by @CiteCase which talks in-depth about the existing legal framework for such crimes.
Meaning
What does the term 'deepfake' actually mean?
Per Tech Target, "Deepfake AI is a type of artificial intelligence used to create convincing images, audio, and video hoaxes. The term describes both the technology and the resulting bogus content and is a portmanteau (combination) of deep learning and fake."
"Deepfakes often transform existing source content where one person is swapped for another. They [can] also create entirely original content."
Big B's case
Bachchan was also targeted similarly
Not too long ago, a clip featuring Big B from the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati was similarly morphed for political purposes.
In the fake video, the AI-generated voiceover asks, "Which of these is called an announcement minister because of their fake announcements?"
The contestant replies, Madhya Pradesh's MP Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Sony TV had said they'll bring it up with the Cyber Cell.